Egg tongs



c. L. ROSE June 24', 1930.

EGG TONGS Filed March 14, 1929 I INVENTORJ Carl L Rose, BY

ATTORNEY Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT CARL n. ROSE, or KANSAS .cIrY,- IssoURr EGG TONG'SIH Application filed March 14, 1929. Serial .No. 346,=22.

The present invention relates to egg tongs, and aims to providea novel and improved appliance of this type which will be adapted for greater convenience in the handling of 5 eggs as well as with greater safety on account of the fragile nature of the egg shell.

Accordingly the primary object of the invention is to devise a resiliently con structed tongs appliance adapted for .both

10 yieldingly gripping contact with the eggs and also for a yielding action of'the handles carrying the egg-gripping elements for avoiding any undue pressure upon the eggs in the gripping function.

It is further sought to provide an extremely simple and inexpensive construction of a thoroughly practical as well as efficient character for the desired purpose;

With these generalobjects in view, the

' invention will now be described by reference to theaccompanying drawing wherein is illustrated one form of embodiment of the proposed features of improvement, after which novel features thereof will beparticularly set forth and defined "in the appended claim.

In the drawing r I 1 Figure l is a plan view illustrating an egg tongs appliance constructed inv accordance withthe present invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the device, in open position; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the ap pliance closed and" in gripping engagement with an egg.

Referring now to the said drawing-in constituting the hand-grip element, and the portion 7 forming a resilient arm connecting the hand-grip portion with the correv sponding egg-gripping element. Preferably thebends (S-in the'tw'o hand=grip 'ele ments are relatively staggered, =as represented-in Figure"1,--for greater comfort to the hand as Wellas lending balancing effect n the hand-gripping action. l

. At the outer end of the'straight portion 7 oteach handle member the wireis appropriately bent'to provide an egg-gripping element comprisinga pair of split, yielding or 'expansible coils, namely, relatively larger coil 8 and a somewhat smaller coil '9, with a wire'connecting; portion 10 between said COllS. The larger -.coil is open at the end of the'jhandle portion 7, where thewire connecting portion 10 is bent both backwardly and outwardly to provide both for opening or splitting said-coil and also for spacing the twocoils slightly apart (as 7 shown inFigures 2 and 'and the wire terminating in the .coil 9 of course provides'a split or openingtherein whiclralso comes opposite the end ofrthearm 0r handle portion 7. The combined shape andgcontour of the two coils 'approximates an oval cup-shape design, and the yielding nature .of'the material, as Well as the. open or split characterof the coils, adapts the same to conform yieldingly to one of the sidesof an egg 12 as illustrated in igure 3. I

In the preferred construction, the ends of the coils-9 may also be: slightly bent or curved inwardly,'towar :l the coils 8, for conforming still more tothe contour of the end portions ofthe egg, as indicated at 9 in Figures 2 and By ;means ofthis construction, it is apparent that a tongs; deviceis provided in which the egg-gripping elements are of a completely yielding and flexible character adapted, upon contacting engagement with the egg, to conform automatically'andaccurately' to the outside contour of the egg,

.without any undue or crushing pressure. at

any point :of the shell; This actionis rendered all themore yielding and resilient by the springy-n'ature of the handle members, since. the same resilient wire material is used throughout, and in the actual con.-

struction the length of the handles, including the straight portion 7, is so chosen as to provide an ample degree of resiliency to insure that no injurious pressure can possibly be exerted upon the egg, such as would tend to break the shell. The handle portions 6 are very convenient and comfortable for hand-gripping purposes, the thumb of the hand engaging one of the forward bends at either side of the device according to which hand is used for gripping the appliance.

It is thus apparent that a very practical and efficient construction has been devised for the embodiment of the invention. In addition to its completely flexible and resilient character, insuring no damage being doneto the egg, it enables the eggs to be handled very quickly, the egg being gripped by means, of the gripping coils and nesting therein almost instantly because of the oval cup-shaped design, and moreover is held therein securely by virtue of the gripping elements completely embracing the egg on all sides or practically surrounding the same. a

The device is particularly useful in the cooking of eggs, by boiling, since it enables the eggs to be submerged in the water after it has already been brought to the boiling point and without requiring the egg to be dropped into the vessel at the risk of cracking the shell. After the boiling operation, the egg is as conveniently and safely removed from the water, and if desired can be cooled while retained in the tongs by either dipping in cold water or holding it under a stream of cold water,the skeleton or open-work character of the gripping coils being such as to expedite'the cooling effect by exposing practically the entire surface of the shell.

Being constructed from a single piece of wire material, it is also apparent that the device is not only extremely simple but is also adapted to be manufactured at a minimum cost for its production.

hile I have herein illustrated and described what I now regard as the preferred form of embodiment of my improvements I desire to reserve the right to make all such changes or modifications as may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claim.-

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Pateat, is:

An egg tongs device comprising a pair of handle members, and an egg-gripping element carried by each of said handle members, each of said elements comprising a single piece of wire bent to form a pair of split expansible coils, a relatively large coil secured to one end of the corresponding handle member and a relatively smaller coil formed by a backward bend of the signature.

CARL L. ROSE. 

